Graceland Celebrates Alumni Achievement
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Alumni and Friends Magazine Spring/Summer 2009 Vol. 25, No. 1 Graceland Celebrates Alumni Achievement Fulbright Scholar Larkin Powell’s Year in Namibia We Alumni Excellence 2 Fulbright Family Adventures in Namibia Administration John Sellars, Ph.D. 4 Kauila Clark Creates another Masterpiece Celebrate President Steven L. Anders, Ph.D. ’73 5 ‘Super Graceland Supporters’ Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Alumni Excellence Kathleen M. Clauson Bash, Ph.D. 6 Ray Chase and his Field of Dreams Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness Kelly W. Everett, B.A. ’77 Vice President for Institutional Advancement 7 Vietnam Book Collection in GU’s Future Sharon M. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. ’65 Vice President for Independence Campus 8 Consider the Lilies with Chris Bridge Thomas L. Powell, M.A. ’73 Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students 9 Anthony and Dante Wake Up Mentoring Jodi L. Seymour Executive Assistant to the President and Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees 10 Matthew Bolton is Changing the World Gregory S. Sutherland, B.A. ’73 Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions 11 Marcus Mixes M.Ed. with the War in Iraq Janice K. Tiffany, B.A. ’83 Vice President for Business and Administrative Services 12 Dick Resch’s Vision is Coming to Life Board of Trustees 14 ‘Mom and Dad’ of Graceland SIFE Team Kenneth B. McClain, J.D. ’79, Chair Jennings Jay Newcom, J.D. ’64 , Vice Chair Cheryl F. Hansen, ’77, Secretary Matthew J. Beem Hon. Leonard L. Boswell ’55 Orman Brooner ’53 Donald P. Brown ’57 Robert P. Bruch ’52 David B. Carmichael ’42 M.D., M.A.C.C., RADM MC USNR (Ret.) 16 Commencement Denise Dudley, Ph.D. Calvin V. French, Ed.D. ’49 Ronald E. (Ron) Gillilan, M.D. Cherry M. Hartnett ’73 Laurie Heintz ’85 Barbara Higdon, Ph.D. ’49 W. Gary Howard, Ph.D. ’64 Class Notes Lori A. Kaleikau ’81 Michael D. Lewis, J.D. ’90 18 Diane Bartholomew Kay Johnson Mussell, Ph.D. ’63 William H. (Bill) Pennington Emma Jean (Vicki) Ross, Ph.D. ’50 19 Dan Hanton David Schaal ’80 Dwayne H. Shannon ’49 20 Les Ford Passes Away Llewellyn A. (Lew) Shepherdson Helen Pearson Smith ’58 21 Remembering Gaylord Shaw Janet Ward Worthington ’81 K. Michael (Mike) Zabel, M.D. ’84 22 Tom Morain Honored Alumni Board of Directors Sidna Adams ’70 23 Merle Harmon 1927-2009 Katie Arnold-Clow ’90 Pamela K. Smith Ash ’77 Howard J. Booth, Ph.D. ’60 Kirby O. Brooner ’76 Alan Cochran ’81 Around the Campuses Karla M. Fennick ’89 Michael D. Lewis, J.D. ’90 15 Bill Juhnke Kathryn Lysinger ’83 Barbara Hiles Mesle, Ph.D. ’72 24 We Mourn Loss of Two Students William D. Morain, M.D. ’62 Following our dreams to reach our goals Michael Morain ’01 25 Bette Sellars Brings her Amish Country Cherry A. Newcom ’65 Darren Ourth ’93 he theme for this issue of Horizons evolved over the — who strive to make the world a better place, one step Scott Ourth ’81 Store Vision to Life Jackie Pray ’74 last few months. Unsolicited, the magazine staff at a time. We are a strong community. We stay connected Rebecca T. Shalley ’62 began receiving story ideas from Graceland alumni with each other. We support each other. G. Joe Shelton ’67 T Adam W. Smith, J.D. ’96 and friends and a common thread emerged. Our alumni Join me in celebrating a handful of the thousands Jeanne Sundell Davis ’81 are out in the world engaged in outstanding work in the of ‘Graceland Stories’ we would like to tell. The stellar Tyler Williams ’95 sciences, the arts, publishing, the military, urban mentor- alumni you will read about here graduated as long ago Editorial Board About the cover: Larkin, Kelly and Tristan Powell pose with Nancy Wallace ’74, Alumni Programs Director “our fearless driver, Peter” during their excursion to central ing, promoting history, and perhaps most notably, pursu- as 1953 and as recently as 2008. Their visions and efforts Randy Meline, Editor Namibian farms. Larkin is teaching in Namibia on a Fulbright ing lives of selfless philanthropy and service to others. cover the gamut of the human experience. I champion Howard J. Booth, Ph.D. ’60 Barbara Higdon, Ph.D. ’49 Scholar Award. The 1965 vehicle reminded Larkin of his dad’s Tom Morain, Ph.D. ’69 I am, of course, well aware that our students leave their achievements. old grain truck. Read their story on the next page. Graceland as transformed individuals and go on to To all Gracelanders I would like to say, hold on to your Staff become exemplary members of society. I felt inspired most-cherished goals and be guided by the life-path vi- Steve Edwards ’96, Art Director Aaron Neeley ’03, Photographer as I perused the dozen stories that comprise this special sions you took away from this university. Do you remem- Horizons, Volume 25, No. 1 Horizons (USPS 0884-8939) is published three times a year, Spring/Summer, Fall and Winter, by Alumni Excellence issue of Horizons. These Gracelanders ber the dreams you had on your Commencement Day? Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa. Send address changes to: Horizons, Graceland University represent a sampling of the diverse cross-section of what Reach for them. Alumni Programs Office, 1 University Place, Lamoni, Iowa, 50140. The magazine is distributed without charge to alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university. Free copies are available Graceland is now, and what it has been for 114 years. We John Sellars upon request. Direct inquiries to the Alumni Programs Office at the address above, call are individuals — current students, alumni and friends President 1.866.GU4-EVER, or on the university’s website: www.graceland.edu. SPRING/SUMMER 2009 GRACELAND HORIZONS Alumni Excellence Alumni Excellence Fulbright sent about 800 faculty scholars around the world this year, based on their professional achievement Fulbright lets Powell Family and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Lar- kin’s award allowed him to bring along Kelly and Tristan. The family moved to Namibia in January 2009 and will Follow their Passions in Namibia return in December. Like most African nations, Namibia By Collin Isham ’11 has a troubled past. Rebellion, violence and wars for independence have claimed the lives of tens of thousands Fulbright Scholar Award has given Larkin Powell of innocent people. It became a nation in 1990, just when ’90 and his family something the rest of us might Larkin and Kelly were graduating from Graceland and A just dream about. Larkin, his wife Kelly Johnson getting married. ’90 Powell and their 11-year-old son Tristan, are spending Kelly is helping with the logistics of the survey and a year in the relatively young nation of Namibia, located she has also embraced Namibia as a place for explora- in southwest Africa. All three have found reasons to love tion. She finds new places for the family to visit on their this beautiful coastal country. frequent jaunts and Larkin said she is especially enjoying Namibia is similar to other African countries in some the farms they visit. You’ve got to see the family photo ways but it has unique qualities that appealed to Larkin. archives, linked from Larkin’s excellent Blog site at h t t p : // “I wanted to come here because they do a lot of wildlife namibiafulbright.blogspot.com. You can really get an idea management on lands that are grazed by cattle,” Larkin of the scope of their travels and adventures by diving into said during our talk using a live-cam program called Larkin’s Blog. He also goes into fascinating detail about SKYPE. He had just returned from an excursion into the his research, and if you know Larkin, you’ll know that Above, an inviting road beckons you out into the vast Namibian plain. Below left, bush with his students. They were learning to ride horses, there is a liberal amount of humor mixed in. With a single Himba women pose for a photo…these people have resisted outsiders who would identify plants, use GPS and bone up on conservation car in the family, Kelly has also become “our taxi,” said change their culture. management. Larkin, “doing a lot of dropping off and picking up.” Larkin teaches and researches nature conservancy Tristan has become a rock hound and according to and wildlife management in the School of Natural Re- dad he would just as soon stay in Namibia he loves the sources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Research- outdoors there so much. It is a rock lover’s paradise and ing grazing success techniques while still protecting the if you view Tristan’s personal Blog at http://tristanin- land is his passion. He is very concerned about long-term namibia.blogspot.com you will find out how much fun a sustainability of land-use practices, in Nebraska and fifth grader from Lincoln, NE can have in Africa. around the world. Surprisingly, a typical day in Namibia is similar to There are similar sand hills in Nebraska and Namibia. being in Nebraska, reports Larkin. Like being a faculty “What I have learned in Nebraska allows me to teach member at home, “…it’s wake up, go to work, teach, help courses here in Namibia, and I can learn things here to with research, go home. The electricity and roads and Above right, the Powells at Hero’s Acre, a memorial to those who died for Namibian take home,” he said. He is working with students in the water are much more reliable than in other African coun- independence.